What is Somatic Psychotherapy?

This approach to therapeutic healing uses the mind-body connection to address the impact of trauma (including developmental trauma that can negatively impact attachment styles in adulthood) upon a person's body.  Body-Mind Centering® innovator Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen famously reflected,

“The mind is like the wind and the body like the sand; if you want to know how the wind is blowing, you can look at the sand.”

 

What is the history and theory behind this method?

Somatic psychotherapy (from the legacies of psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich and developmental psychotherapist Pierre Janet) is rooted in the basic assumptions:

  • that the mind and body are two aspects of the same thing

  • that we naturally heal when we have the proper support

  • that our thoughts, feelings, and experiences profoundly shape us

This approach to healing from trauma acts directly to support your nervous system and re-shapes the way that you move through the world and in your relationships.

How does it work?

A somatic psychotherapist is uniquely skilled in supporting a client's body (and relationship to their body) to promote a natural healing process through embodiment, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and expression.  

Somatic psychotherapy also offers practical tools to provide incremental immediate relief from symptoms of:

  • anxiety,

  • depression,

  • uncontrolled rage,

  • panic attacks,

  • hypervigilance, and

  • somatized pain from isolation or rejection.

Rates/ fees

Initial interviews are 30 minutes and free of charge, allowing clients and clinicians to share/gather general history and determine if it’s a good fit (if not, prospective clients will be offered 3+ reasonable referrals)

  • Individual psychotherapy: $100 for 60 minute session, with new clients agreeing to attend weekly for 3 months.
  • Partner/ Relationship psychotherapy: $120 for 60 minute session, with new clients agreeing to attend twice/month for 3 months.
  • Professional consultation/ supervision:  $100 for 50 minutes in-person; $50 for 30 minutes via FaceTime.
  • Clinical Supervision Group: $50 for 120 minute group supervision, capped at 6 clinicians in each group.*

*email Beit@DragonInTheGlen.com to explore scholarships/ sliding scale fee options